Mercer Island Reporter

Council members’ letter is ‘political hit piece’

October 3, 2013 · Updated 10:13 AM Comments

Last week I received a letter that appeared to be official city business from Council members Bertlin and Senn. Upon opening this letter, I discovered it was a misleading piece of political advertisement, directed at me solely because of my gender.

How can this letter truly reflect the thoughts of Bertlin and Senn when it was “paid for by the Dan Grausz Re-Election Committee?” Are Bertlin and Senn bought and paid for by Grausz? I expect more from my elected officials. (I note that Senn has not yet been elected, having been appointed last year to fill a vacant position.)

While I would prefer that my mailbox is free from political advertisements, if they are distributed, I expect the information to be accurate. Several statements made by “Bertlin” and “Senn” regarding Scheid’s qualifications border on defamation — a reckless disregard of the truth.

Scheid has volunteered for over 15 years with the Holiday Stockings for Homeless Children, coached numerous Boys and Girls Club sports teams, was a member of the High School Principal Selection Committee and High School Site Council, in addition to his active involvement in his church.

How can I trust any information coming from Bertlin, Senn, and/or Grausz after this political hit piece? Thank you, Council member Meyer Brahm, for exercising some judgment and refraining from jumping on the “Islander women” bandwagon. Islanders, we deserve better.